Chocolate Chip Banana Bars are a simple & delicious ripe banana recipe that’s even better than banana bread! Great for breakfast, lunch and even dessert! Check out all the 5 star reviews- everyone raves about this easy banana bars!
Shared nearly 100,000 times on social media, this is the perfect banana recipe! See the 5⭐️ reviews below!
Best recipe to make when you have Ripe Bananas on the counter!
This recipe for Chocolate Chip Banana Bars is my favorite banana recipe ever. They are delicious, filling, and perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack or as dessert. I love that they have a ton of bananas in them. I like to bake a batch, cut them into squares and freeze them individually for when we’re on-the-go!
Why You’ll Love these Chocolate Chip Banana Bars
- Perfect use for ripe bananas! You’ll need 4 or 5 for this recipe, depending on the size. Tell me I’m not the only one who buys bananas week after week for them to disappear lightning fast. Then suddenly that stops…and you’ve got nearly a whole bunch on the counter ripening at an alarming rate. Ha!
- They’re easier to make than banana bread. Bakes faster & for some reason when they’re cut into squares everyone eats them faster than slices of bread. I’ve heard it time and time again!
- So incredibly versatile! Swap out some oil for applesauce. Use 1 less banana. Add in oats. Or peanut butter. Since posting these 5 years ago, I’ve made so many revisions! They’re all amazing!
Banana Chocolate Chip Bar ingredients
Here’s what you need to make our Chocolate Chip Banana Bars:
—BANANAS: 5 very ripe bananas (about 1 2/3 cup) – yes, you can use frozen bananas! Once you’re ready to use the frozen bananas, thaw them out slightly, then peel them and place the bananas in a bowl. Once they’re fully thawed, drain out the liquid and proceed with the recipe.
—SUGAR: You’ll use just 3/4 cup brown sugar. I opted to use brown sugar in place of white sugar as it’s sweeter due to the addition of molasses. Adds great flavor too!
—OIL: You need 1/4 cup oil for the banana bars. Canola, vegetable or coconut oil work the best. I’ve even gotten comments from people who’ve swapped out the oil for applesauce with great success!
—MILK: We add 1/4 cup milk for moisture. I most often use almond milk, but any type of milk except soy milk works well. (I find soy milk doesn’t bake well!)
—EGGS: You need 2 eggs for this recipe.
—DRY INGREDIENTS: You’ll need 1 3/4 cup flour. I regularly swap out all-purpose flour for whole wheat! You’ll also need 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp cinnamon for flavor and leavening.
—CHOCOLATE: We added 1 cup mini chocolate chips to the recipe in 2 parts. You’ll mix half into the batter and the other half you’ll sprinkle on top before baking. Adds just the right amount of sweetness!
How to make Chocolate Banana Bars
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 15×10.5″ pan with non-stick spray.
Peel bananas and mash well. Stir in brown sugar, oil, milk and eggs until combined.
Add in dry ingredients and stir. Fold in 1/2 the chocolate chips.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle remaining chips on top. Bake 18-22 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool completely and cut into squares.
Yields 24 bars.
I like to make a batch, then cool, cut and freeze in individual baggies. Since they’re filling, they make a wonderful snack, breakfast or school lunch addition.
How can I ripen bananas quickly?
Ripe bananas are used in banana bread because they have a stronger, more pronounced flavor. There are several ways to help bananas ripen faster so that you can make banana bread. Here are my preferred methods:
- Ripen bananas in the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place bananas peel and all on the parchment and bake for 30-40 minutes, until peels are black & shiny. Let cool 1 hour and proceed with banana bread recipe.
- Ripen bananas in a paper bag. If you have more time, place bananas in a paper bag with an apple. Fold and secure closed. I usually leave bananas like this for a full day, then proceed with the Banana Nut Bread recipe.
How to make Healthier Banana Bars
There are several things you can swap out in this recipe to make them healthier. Here are some ideas:
- I use brown sugar instead of regular granulated sugar to add more sweetness with less sugar. That being said, you can decrease the sugar to 1/2 cup. Just make sure you’re using VERY ripe bananas to add sweetness there.
- You can replace half or all of the oil with applesauce. I’m more of a fan of using half coconut oil and half applesauce, personally.
- Use almond or cashew milk in place of regular milk.
- Add in 2-3 TBSP of ground flax! No one will notice and it gives an added boost of fiber.
- Add veggies!! Seriously. Check out my double chocolate version of this recipe. I added cocoa powder and tons of ground spinach. No one can taste the difference and if you blend the spinach small enough (blending it with the coconut oil helps) you can’t see the difference either.
CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BARS
Ingredients
- 5 very ripe bananas about 1 2/3 cup
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup oil any type- I use coconut
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¾ cup flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips divided
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 15×10.5" pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Peel bananas and mash well. Stir in brown sugar, oil, milk and eggs until combined. Add in dry ingredients and stir. Fold in 1/2 the chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle remaining chips on top.
- Bake 18-22 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely and cut into squares. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I’ve made several revisions to this incredible recipe! Here are my favorites:
➡➡➡ I added Peanut Butter. These Peanut Butter Banana Bars have more flavor and protein! Use smooth or crunchy, depending on what you like.
➡➡➡Double the Chocolate! I mean, adding more chocolate is always a good idea. These Double Chocolate Banana Bars are dark brown due to the cocoa, so I took the opportunity to sneak in some blended spinach too! THEY NEVER NOTICE!
➡➡➡Like Cheesecake? I made two different versions to satisfy you! Here’s a Cream Cheese Frosted Banana Bars and this one, Cheesecake Banana Bars has a swirl of sweetened cream cheese baked into it!
➡➡➡Bring on the fruit! Bananas pair well with so many other fruits, so I made a Blueberry Banana Bars recipe, Strawberry Banana Bars and added some citrus with these Orange Banana Bars. YUM.
Can you use frozen bananas in banana bars?
A lot of people freeze overripe bananas to use them later on in banana bars. It’s a simple way to amass a collection of ripe bananas to use in this recipe. you don’t even have to peel the bananas prior to freezing! Once you’re ready to use them in this banana bars recipe, thaw them out slightly, then peel them and place the bananas in a bowl. Once they’re fully thawed, drain out the liquid and proceed with the recipe.
Can you freeze Chocolate Banana Bars?
Yes! I freeze these banana bars often! My favorite way to freeze them is to cut them into 2″-3″ squares and place in a small baggie. Place all of the individual baggies in a larger ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Then you have individual servings of chocolate chip banana bars that are perfect for an on-the-go snack or school lunch! You can also freeze a half pan of these banana bars. Instead of baking in a 10×15 pan, bake them in 2 quarter bakers sheets or 9×13 pans. Simply cool fully, then cover with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 weeks.
Are banana bars gluten free?
My traditional recipe for chocolate chip banana bars does contain gluten, however you can substitute a gluten-free flour blend or use almond flour instead. If you swap out regular flour with almond flour, just add a rounded teaspoon of baking soda instead.
Fantastic cake-like banana bar recipe for when you have ripe bananas that need to be used up! Perfectly spiced with a bit of cinnamon & studded with chocolate chips, these banana bars are amazing!
Lolita Welch says
I have tried and guess what?
So delicious and easy to prepare.. I was empress myself. Did not regret to try this amazing recipe…
Thank you much for the recipe.
More power to you and god bless….. Kids and my grandkids love it so much..
Thanks again… Appreciate it very much.. Keep up the good work….
Alison says
Lolita, Thank you! I’m and so glad you and your family could enjoy this!
Nellie says
Lolita- so glad that you enjoyed them!
Hayley says
I only have baking powder, no soda. Can this be substituted? If so how please? Thanks!
Nellie says
Hayley, I found this online – hope it helps! “If your recipe calls for baking soda and you do not have any on hand, you can substitute the baking soda with baking powder. Increase the amount of baking powder by four times the amount of baking soda called for in the recipe.”
Kaitlyn says
I just made these. I added a bit of oats instead of all the flour. I also added pecans. And i’m really excited to eat them!!
Nellie says
Kaitlyn – Great ideas to add the oats and pecans! I might have to try that next time!
Patricia Mc Crory says
Sorry in the recipe is that 3\4 of cup of cloud or one and 3/4 of flour thanks
Alison says
One and 3/4 cup of flour! Enjoy! 🙂
Jennie says
I’m excited to try this with almond flour. Should I increase my baking soda to 2 tsp if your AP/whole wheat flour calls for 1 tsp?
Do you think coconut flour would work?
Jessica says
I don’t do a lot of baking with almond or coconut flour, Jennie, so I’m just not sure! If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
Lexi says
Just made and they are delicious! I only had an 8” x 8” pan but they still turned out great. They just needed a little more cooking time.
Nellie says
So glad you enjoyed them Lexi! Sometimes I make them in a smaller pan too because I like them to be a little bit thicker!
Ramona says
I made these tonight and VERY yummy. I added the ground flax and my hubby didn’t even notice. I also added walnuts to one side for a crunchy bite. Thank you for this recipe:)
Nellie says
Ramona -so glad you enjoyed them! Walnuts are a great idea!
Aimee Shugarman says
LOVE the banana in these bars!!! Great texture!
Alison says
Thank you Aimee!
Linda says
What a great recipe for all us banana bread lovers! I like the fact that it has applesauce and whole wheat four to up the healthy factor. And I’ve just got to try your chocolate version with the spinach!
Kathy Crabbs says
Wonderful bars! I used 6 bananas and a 9 x 13 pan. These are the best and easiest and my new go to.
Nellie says
Kathy – So glad you enjoyed them! We make them all the time as well!
Alissa says
Made this today and cameour really mushy in the inside and baked it way longer to try Andy fix that but did t help. I used gluten free flour though and did not change anything else what could fix this? It wasn’t good because it came out very odd and I mixed as directed in instructions, Help lol thank you!
Jessica says
Using gluten free flour actually changes the recipe pretty drastically! What kind did you use? It’s a pretty simple soft, thin banana bar recipe. I think I’d need more info to figure out how to help!
Amy says
Very tasty! I had to up the flour as I only had four bananas, but without this recipe they would have all gone to waste, instead they’ve made a delicious treat for my daughter and I. Thank you!
Nellie says
So glad you enjoyed these Amy! My kids request this recipe on a weekly basis and I love not wasting all those bananas we never get around to eating!
Sarah says
My kids LOVE these! Lunchbox friendty too!
Tara says
SO good — and a great way to use up those overripe bananas!
Jaime says
These sound delicious. I don’t see the nutritional information anywhere; do you have that and do you normally include it in your recipes? It’s my first time here 🙂
Jessica says
I’m working on getting nutritional info up Jaime! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by- I hope you try these banana bars!
Carrie says
I just made these with a few modifications. I used the coconut oil, almond milk, substituted quinoa flour, added about 2T almond butter, about a 1/2C quick oats and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. I increased the milk slightly to account for the extra dry ingredients. They baked up beautifully!
Heather T. says
These are so yummy and easy. My 12 year old made them for us.
Tina says
Had five ripe bananas in fridge (and a banana bread frozen) so goggled a new recipe for something different. This came up. Easy to whip up, did not have mini chips so used leftover regular chocolate chips and white chocolate chips. Baked up beautifully, waiting to cool before cutting and trying, so excited!
Alison says
Tina, this is one of our very favorite recipes! Enjoy!
Fazeela says
I didn’t want to put the oven on so I made waffles with the mixture
Perfect waffles.Im using up all the mixture as I don’t know how the batter will react when standing
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
How fun! This looks so easy and I think it’s perfect for kids!
Taryn says
I love the chocolate banana combo. I could eat this whole batch!